Battle of Hel Fenn
The Battle of Hel Fenn was the final climactic battle of the Vampire Wars. Mannfred von Carstein was defeated by a coalition of Imperial and Dwarfen troops lead by Count Martin of Stirland. Background Main Article: Third Vampire War Mannfred von Carstein was the final Vampire Count of Sylvania. In the campaign leading up to Hel Fenn, known as the Winter War, he had laid siege to the cities of Altdorf and Marienburg, but was repulsed in both locations. A game of cat and mouse ensued. Although many battles were fought, neither side could gain the upper hand in the war. Eventually, Mannfred was forced back into Sylvania. Hiding in the woods, it took the Imperial forces many days of searching to locate Mannfred. They did not expect that he would be able to muster a large army. Eventually, he was located near Hel Fenn. The amount of undead he had been able to summon was astounding. Word was sent to Stirland's allies, and the forces prepared for battle. The Battlefield }}The Battlefield at Hel Fenn consisted of an open plain, sloping up to a ridge in the middle, and surrounded by forests. The human armies deployed on the ridge, which was nicknamed Thunder Ridge by the artillery crews positioned there. At the bottom of the ridge was a road raised up from the rest of the ground. On the Empire's left flank was a fortified farm, and on their right was an abandoned fort. The position of the Empire army was very well defensible. Count Martin only needed a way to make sure that Mannfred was forced to attack him, rather than the other way around. Therefore, he set up the following ploy: The majority of his army was deployed directly behind the ridge, out of sight from Mannfred. A thin battle line of Free Company Militia and Empire Huntsmen in front of them. He hoped to use this forlorn hope as a means of drawing Mannfred's army towards him. Meanwhile, knowing that Mannfred would attempt to encircle his numerically inferior human army, Martin placed his strongest units, including the Ostland Black Guard in the abandoned fortress and fortified farm on the flanks of his battleline. Mannfred von Carstein knew that the Empire's army was smaller than his, and their Dwarf allies were still some distance away. Therefore he planned to attack quickly and separate the two force, each one being easier to defeat on its own. The Battle At dawn, regiments began forming up. It was clear the battle was to occur that day. Mannfred's first move was to attempt to take the abandoned fort held by a contingent of Ostland Black Guard and handgunners. Empire Forces Martin of Stirland was the chief commander of the Empire's armies. However, he diplomatically gave the other elector counts and dwarfs a say in the decision making process. **'Axelbrand, Archlector of Taal' lead a contingent of Priests of Taal. They were taken to Hel Fenn to counter Mannfred's unholy magics. **'Lord General Kristian Heff' Undead Forces }}The size of Mannfred's army is not know, but historians guess that it was between twenty thousand and three hundred thousand strong. Commanders *'Mannfred von Carstein' **'Adolphus Krieger', Necromancer **'Gothard the Undying Knight', Wight leader of Mannfred's Black Knights Troops *Zombies *Skeletons *Wights *Sylvanian Peasant Levies *Dire Wolves Source * : The Empire at War (Lore Book) ** : pg. 26 ** : pg. 27 ** : pg. 28 ** : pg. 30 ** : pg. 34 ** : pg. 36 es:Batalla_de_Hel_Fenn Category:Major Battles Category:Vampire Counts Category:The Empire Category:Dwarf